In the early days of the pandemic, Airbnb attempted to curb the spread of the virus by banning parties at bookings made on its platform.
Looks like it worked.
Airbnb says it has seen fewer unauthorized gatherings since implementing the ban in August 2020 — so it’s making the change permanent, the company announced Tuesday. In the past, guests could host gatherings with permission from their hosts, but the pandemic policy called for a global ban on all parties and events at Airbnb listings, and capped occupancy at 16.
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According to the memo, the ban has led to a 44% year-over-year decrease in party reports on the platform. What’s more, it’s been widely embraced by the company’s community of hosts, community leaders, and elected officials.
In April, two people died in a shooting at an Airbnb in Pittsburgh, where more than 200 people had gathered in violation of the company’s policies.
The company’s updated policy has taken host feedback into account and will allow more than 16 guests to stay at properties where they can do so comfortably, but the party ban still stands.
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Guests who violate the platform’s party ban will continue to face serious consequences, the company stated, from account suspension to full removal from the platform. Last year, more than 6,600 Airbnb guests were suspended from the platform following attempts to violate the company’s party policy.
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